Every Thursday for the last year I have spent the day with my two-and-a-half year old Professor – my first grandson. My Professor, whose name is Luke, is teaching this reformed work-acholic the true meaning of life. I get to see the world once again for the first time through his-eyes. Class is once a week. I take off to watch him as his parents go off to work. I post the weekly lessons on Facebook in the form of a brief video of my Thursday’s with Luke to share the pure joy of these lessons with my friends. It has become in demand.
The lessons are plenty and continuing. I’m still in class. I’ll share a few to date. One is to be “present.” No cell phone. No emails. No social media. No TV. Just me and him engaged one-on-one reading a book, taking a walk, or playing a game. It is not about money. It doesn’t matter if I am broke or a multi-millionaire. It is about just spending time. Quality time. That is what my professor demands. When I provide this and pass his tests I’m rewarded with passing grades of LOVE. Another lesson is that it is the simple things are the best things. We bought him some gifts for his birthday and he had more fun and spent more time with the boxes the gifts came in. His imagination and creativity shown. We do not need much to make us happy.
When I walk in my professor tells me he missed me. When I leave he tells my “I love you Grumpa.” Grumpa is my handle. Having just seen Sir Paul McCartney’s last show of his tour as he approached his 80th birthday I think about his parting song The End … “and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” At the end of the day and at the end of life, isn’t LOVE what it is all about? It is what we crave. It is what we seek. It is what it is all about. This lesson is reinforced every Thursday. Just ask my Professor, he’ll show you!